This invention relates to environmentally sealed electrical connectors, and more particularly to improved connectors which facilitate installation of equipment boxes in spas, pools, washing machines and the like, and which are resistant to accidental disconnection.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,401,181 to Wilson discloses an environmentally sealed electrical connector system in which mating female and male connectors are provided, respectively, with a bead and groove that cooperate, when the connectors are mated, to form a moisture-tight seal around the mating contacts. One of the uses of the connector system of U.S. Pat. No. 5,401,181 involves a connection box for spas, washers or the like, in which one of the connectors is anchored in the face plate of the box, and the other is used to plug an external cable into the anchored connector. For this purpose, the anchored connector takes the form shown in U.S. Pat. No. Des. 360,871 to Wilson.
In the Wilson system, the female connector of U.S. Pat. No. 5,401,181 is anchored in the face plate by threading the wires or cable attached to it from the front through precut openings in the face plate, and then pushing the connector into the opening until the wedge-shaped teeth shown in U.S. Pat. No. Des. 360,871 catch on the back side of the face plate and lock the anchored connector to the face plate.
It has been found in practice that although the system of U.S. Pat. No. 5,401,181 and U.S. Pat. No. Des. 360,871 performs adequately, it is not entirely satisfactory in two respects. First, because the anchored connector of U.S. Pat. No. Des. 360,871 must be inserted from the front of the face plate, the wires attached to it must be connected inside the box with the face plate present. This causes problems because work space inside the box is limited (particularly if more than one anchored connector is provided), and the handling and movement of the face plate and anchored connectors during connection work frequently causes paint scratches and dirt stains on the face plate.
Another problem with the prior art system is that the wires or cable attached to the plug-in (usually the male) connector are sometimes subjected, in tight places, to a bending stress that causes the male and female connectors to become misaligned, and thereby to jeopardize the moisture seal even if the connectors do not become completely disconnected.
The present invention overcomes the drawbacks of the prior art by providing a connector system in which an anchored connector can be inserted through a cutout in the face plate of a box, from the rear of the face plate, after the wiring connections have been made outside of the box. Furthermore, in accordance with the invention, the plug-in connector is equipped with one or more resilient hooked arms that lockingly engage the face place cutouts when the connectors are mated. The locking of the plug-in connector to the face plate prevents the plug-in connector from becoming misaligned or detached from the anchored connector.
In other aspects of the invention, the plug-in connector is formed of two different materials to provide both a firm lock to the face plate, and a soft exterior hood for an effective moisture seal. Also, provision is made for the ground contact to extend farther outward from the connectors than the hot contacts, so that the ground connection will be made first when the connectors are mated.